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each other. We do a great job supporting them, that's important to our program, but being able to support each other is a good thing." Galt said linebackers Lance Dixon and Bran- don Smith had done "a really, really nice job" in their first few months at Penn State. Other standouts included defensive end Adisa Isaac, tight end Brenton Strange and junior college offensive lineman An- thony Whigan. "They've done a really, really nice job," Galt said. "They're starting off real well in school. They're busting their butt in here. It's been great." OFFENSIVE LINE REGROUPS Given the loss of Ryan Bates and Connor McGov- ern, both of whom opted in January to forgo their final season of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft, there's been a lot of speculation about who might step for- ward this spring. Of the players who are in con- tention for spots in the starting lineup alongside returning first-teamers Steven Gonzalez, Will Fries and Michal Menet, one who has aroused a lot of interest is redshirt freshman Rasheed Walker. During his visit with the media, Galt described the for- mer four-star recruit as "a man on a mission." "He's a little bit like Micah in a lot of ways," Galt said. "Rasheed doesn't talk, doesn't say a whole lot, but he comes in and he speaks volumes with his work ethic. He's done a great job. So he's strong as an ox, he's taken body fat off, he's still right about 315, 317, so he's a big guy and he can get bigger, but he really wants to be lean, wants to be able to move. He wants to have that movement as well as being strong, so we're really pleased with how he's projecting." ■ F O O T B A L L Nittany Lions enjoy another strong showing at NFL Combine STRONG EFFORT Galt was pleased with the Nittany Lions' perform- ance during their condi- tioning drills, saying, "The attitude, the ap- proach, the motivation, the energy have been great all winter. It's been a blast." Photo by Nate Bauer Seven former Penn State players took part in the NFL Scouting Com- bine Feb. 26-March 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, hoping to attract the attention of pro coaches and improve their positioning in the draft, which will take place April 25- 27 in Nashville. Here's a look at how they fared: RYAN BATES Before even hitting the field for his workout, Bates was eager to run the 40. "The 40, I think, is the big thing here at the combine that a lot of peo- ple look at," he said. "It might not matter a whole lot for the offensive line position, but for the 10-yard split, that 20-yard split for me – I'm excited to show what I can do." Clocking in with a 5.09-second time, Bates was one of the top per- formers among the offensive line- men, tying for 10th. He also put up 28 reps at 225 pounds in the bench press to tie for ninth, was third in the three-cone drill with a 7.45-second time, and was tied for fifth in the 20- yard shuttle with a 4.53. Bates said his experience at Penn State prepared him for the combine, especially the strength and condi- tioning work that he did under the guidance of Dwight Galt, the Nittany Lions' director of performance en- hancement. "When I went in to Penn State, I was real light – 270, 275 – and gained 30 to 35 pounds of muscle," Bates said. "They've prepared me. Every-

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